Acas study calls for higher take-up of flexible working

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A report published this week by Acas calls for more flexible working for parents returning to work after parental leave as a way to tackle gender inequality,

The report, Flexible Working for Parents Returning to Work – Maintaining career development, by the Institute of Employment Studies, is based on existing research and a series of case studies. It urges employers  to view flexibility as a business tool that can create an agile and responsive workforce, rather than as a reactive response to accommodate caring responsibilities.

Acas head of strategy Gill Dix said: “There are challenges. For example, the study found that some flexible workers can be wrongly pigeonholed as being less ambitious. The independent report calls for a wider cultural change, with flexible working being promoted equally for men and women.”

The report recommends that companies spend time and energy in training managers in developing the skills they need to to manage flexible teams, and look at how they manage performance and fairness in the system

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